Closure means for burial vaults



0. DIOGUARDI, JR

CLOSURE MEANS FOR BURIAL VAULTS Nov. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed March 4, 1954 Nov. 12, 1957 o. DIQGUARDI, JR 6 CLQSURE MEANS FOR BURIAL VAULTS Filed March 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Uitcd States Patent 2,812,966 CLOSURE MEANS FOR BURIAL 'VAUL'TS Orestes Dioguardi, Jr., Brooklyn, N. Y. Application March 4, 1954, Serial No. 414,012

3 Claims. 01. 292-25655) vault without impairing the function of the handle structure.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide means facilitating accommodation of a plurality of handles in spaced apart relation to each other in avault structure so as to enlarge the eifective bearing surface thereof whereby a plurality of vaults may be stacked without irnpairing the access to the locking means for the respective vaults.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide means contributing to the construction of effective locking means, which may be easily and substantially noiselessly manipulated, so that during funeral services any disturbing handling may be effectively avoided.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide means permitting a tight sealing of the vault structure with or without the intermediary of a light metal cover, if desired.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide means affording the interposition of a zinc or like liner between the vault body and cover therefor, whereby a substantially airtight sealing is brought about for the vault structure.

'Yetanother object of the present invention is the provisionof means for rapidly closing and locking the vault structure even by unskilled labor. v V, a V

These and other objects of the invention will be pointed out. in the following description and claims and in th e accompanying "drawings which disclose by way of example the principle of the invention and a preferred mode which has been contemplated in applying said principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view partly in section of a vault structure made in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of closure means embodied in the present invention as seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of a vault with cover and liner therefor.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of a corner of the vault structure seen in Fig. 4 but in assembled condition.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is disclosed in Fig. 1 a vault structure made from metal, plastic or any other suitable sturdy material, such as steel plates having a concrete covering, if desired.

The vault consists of the main body proper 11 and a cover 12, which, in this particular example, has a top 2,812,966 Patented Nov. 12, 1957 wall 13 with wall portions 14, 15 slightly sloping with respect to each other from the center of the top wall 13.

Fixed to these slightly slanting portions l4, 15 as by welding at 16, 17 are oppositely and spacedly positioned hollow plate-shaped handle grip means 18,19 and 20, 21, whose upper walls 18a and 19a, as seen in Fig. l, are so directed with respect to the center of the top wall 13 that the outer ends 18b and 1% are substantially level with the center of top Wall 13, as indicated by dotted lines 22, which also signify a portion of the lower body of a further vault which may be placed on top of vault 10.

The hollow handle grip means or housings, as can be more clearly seen from housing 18 of Figs. 1 and 2, have each a pair of lateral walls 23, 24 which are connected, for instance, to the upper wall 18a of housing 18 by welding." The forward end of upper wall 18a is reinforced by a rounded piece of tube extending intermediate side walls 23, 24 and connected to the underface of upper wall 18a, as seen in Fig. 1. Thus, a suitable and convenient gripping of handle means 18 to 21, respectively, may be'attained. The aforesaid handle grip means are secured'to said cover part 12 in overlying relation to the aforesaid sloping portions 14, 15.

In order to close cover 12 forming the upper vault body part tightly on the vault body 11 forming the lower vault body part hinged bands or struts 25 are employed which are anchored at 26 to the body part 11 and hinged at 27 so as to be swung to and onto cover or upper body part 12 for engagement therewith (shown in full lines) orfor disengagement with the cover, as seen in Fig. 1 and indicated in dotted lines at 25a.

In accordance with the present invention there extends within each hollow handle housing, such as for instance in housing 18, a rod member 30 anchored at opposite 011- set ends 28 and 29 to the cover 12, whereby rod 30 is held a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the slanting cover wall portion 140, as seen in Fig. 3.

As will be further seen from Fig. 3, locking means or strut 25 is'so shaped as to conform to the contour of the upper part of body 11 as well as of the adjacent part of cover 12, the free end of strut 25 at 31 forming latching means having a transverse slot 32 for the lateral insertion of a corresponding latching end 36 of a locking bolt 33, which, inrturn, is swingably attached through opening 34 to rod or guide member 30. Bolt 33 may further slide lengthwise of guide rod 30 in accordance with arrows A, as may be readily seen from Fig. 2, in which bolt 33 with its latching portion is shown in displaced and in one extrerne position, as indicated in dotted lines.

, p Slot 32 communicates also with a recess at 35 in which end36 of bolt 33 .a nut 37 engages which may be tightened against hook-shaped end 31 of strut 25 by means of a socket wrench (not shown).

If it is desired to close the vault 10, all that has to be done is to place cover 12 on the vault body 11 by manipulation of handle grip means 18 to 21 and to swing the struts 25 about hinges 27 for registry and engagement of hook-shaped slots 32, 35 with bolts 33 which may he slid from the dotted line position (Fig. 2) into said slots 32 of struts 25 to thereby eifectuate locking engagement of said latch portions 33, 32, 35. Nuts 37 are then tightened in any appropriate manner, such as by a socket wrench. Instead of nuts 37, as shown, wing nuts or the like may be employed, if desired.

As can be more clearly seen in Fig. 2, the upper end 31 of each strut 25 together with each bolt 33, nut 37 and guide or holder rod 30 are accommodated within the hollow handle housing, so that the closure means including the upper ends of struts 25 will not protrude beyond the respective handle housings, but are directly cs accessible from therewithout at the respective open ends 38.

It will be further noticed from Fig. 2 that guide or holder rod 30 is placed within the handle housing 18 somewhat off center, so that each strut 25 initslooked and engaged position with the respective bolt 331s centered in regard to the respective handle housing.

In some casesit becomes necessary to close vault .body 11 by means of an inner fzinc or like liner .40 .over which cover 12 fits whose inner contour isconformed to the .outer contour of liner fit), as may be readily, visualized from F In order to aflix liner. 40 to flange 41 of vault body 11 theoutwardly turned flange 42 of zinc liner .40 is held in position .within flange 41 by means of liquid lead 4; formingup on solidification a connector or gasket between liner ttl and vault body 11, as seen in Fig. 5;

It is preferred in some instances to have the lower end of flange 42 at 42 a provided with a tin lining so as to bring about airtight connection between zinc liner 40, and steel wall flange 41.

As can be further seen from Figs. 1 and 5, cover12 fits over linerAt) and flange 41 by a cover skirt 12a. This cover skirt 12a is held in position by a respective strut portion 25b, as may be visualized from Figs. 1 and 3 so that'the entire vault structure 10 together with liner 40 and cover 12 may be tightly closed without presenting any protruding parts of the respective closure means accommodated in the respective hollow handle housings 18, to 21, inclusive.

From the foregoing disclosure it will become apparent thatthere has been provided according to the invention a' vault structure for caskets and the like having an openended vault body, a cover for said vault body, a plurality of hollow handle means fixed in spaced relation on the surface of said cover to facilitate placing the -.latter over said open-endedvault body, respective elongated strut means extending from said vaultbody to said cover and terminating in said hollow handle means, and means within said handle means engageable with said strut means for maintaining the latter in applied position to saidcover, whereby the latter is tightly retained on said vault body.

Having thus described theinvention what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent,- is:

1. Ina vault structure having an open-ended vault body anda cover for said vault body;elongated strut means including a hingedpart connected toysaid vault body and of a length to atleast partly extend onto said cover when the latter is applied to said open-ended vault body, engageable means pivotally and slidably connected to. said cover and provided with a forward portion for connection with said strut means to thereby maintain the latter in applied. position on said cover, said strutmeans being provided at the end remote from :said hinged part with a slot whichv extends in transverse direction to the length of said strut means to facilitate laterally inserting engageable means and to thereby force said cover on said vault body, said engageable means including a U-shaped guide rod fixed to 'the cover, and a screw bolt provided with an opening through which said guide rod extends to afford sliding movement of said screw bolt along said guide rod-as well as swinging movement about the latter for adjusting purposes relative to said strut means.

2. In a vault structure having an upper and lower vault body part; locking means extending from one of said body parts to the otherofi said body parts and positioned completely exteriorly of the confines of said body parts and including respective latching means, guide means fixed to and extending lengthwise of one of said body parts and engaging one of said latching means for pivotally and slidably supporting same, so that said one latching means may be swung and displaced in lengthwise direction of said one body part, the other latching means having .a U-shaped slot.with an open end extending in transverse. direction to said one latching means and with which said one. latching means may be engaged upon sliding movement of thelatter lengthwise of said guide means and upon registry with the open end of said slot, and means for tightening said one latching means to said other latching means to thereby bring through said locking means said'upper vault body part in airtight position on saidlower vault body part.

3. In a vault provided with a body part and a cover part having downwardly sloping portions and having furtherplate-shaped hand grip means secured to said cover part in overlying relation to said sloping portions for manipulation of said cover part relative to said body part; complementary latch portions, one of said latch portions being disposed on one of the vault parts and being provided with a hook, the other latch portion being arranged on the other part of said vault and forming a bolt for locking engagement with said hook of said one latch portion, both said latch portions extending, respectively, exteriorly of said body part and said cover part for connection with each other, at least one of said complementary latch portions being located for pivotal movement in underlying relation to said hand grip means to facilitate bringing said complementary latch portions in latching engagement when the hand grip means is engaged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED .STATES PATENTS 

